White-sand beaches, world-class spas, suppers of freshly caught fish and seafood: as summer temperatures in the Med soar higher each year, increasing numbers of us are realising that Scandinavia offers much more than just fjords and the Northern Lights.
Norway and Finland both had record-breaking years in 2025, welcoming 7.2 million and 5.1 million visitors respectively, while 8.2 million visitors touched down in Sweden over the summer months alone.
Temperatures rarely top the mid-20s in high summer, even in the southernmost regions, where there are beaches to rival anything the Med can offer – although the waters of the North Sea are invariably considerably chillier.
It’s no surprise that new hotels are springing up, from budget farm stays to design-led boutique retreats, all with that inimitable Scandi style and a sense of holidaying somewhere completely new.
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Norway
Ytri Island Retreat, Traena
Ytri opened its doors in April and is Norway’s most remote hotels, on the Traena archipelago, 37 miles off the Norwegian coast. A traditional fishing village has been reimagined as a luxury retreat, with glass-walled rooms set along a sheltered harbour featuring glorious coastline views. Neutrals dominate in the bedrooms; taupe and butterscotch linens, furnishings and décor, while Alma – the wooden-framed, light-drenched restaurant, offers a 12-course tasting menu Thursday-Saturday, alongside a four-course seasonal menu. If you’re looking for glorious isolation, this is the place.
Doubles from £401, B&B; ytri.no
Stokkoya Strandhotell, Trondelag
It’s worth the journey – a ferry ride and two trains – to reach Stokkoya. This chic but budget-friendly escape is set right on the beach, with simple cabins (some built into the dunes), glamping and houses. The beach sauna is ideal after a dip in the chilly sea, and there are lovely coastal trails leading away from the hotel.
The restaurant leans towards small plates, with most dishes cooked on an open grill or in a wood-fired oven. There’s a simplicity to proceedings that gives the place a lovely, barefoot feel.
Doubles from £160, B&B; stokkoy.no
Hotel Union Oye, Norangsfjord
For something more classic, Hotel Union Oye has been welcoming guests – from royalty to writers and mountaineers – since 1891. Behind the half-timbered frontage, elegant lounges filled with gilt-edged mirrors, antique furniture and deep leather armchairs channel old-school glamour.
Bedrooms in the main house retain the vintage feel, while the 13 cottages scattered through the grounds are more contemporary, with exposed stone and a palette of muted creams and soft greens.
Evenings can be formal in the grand Conservatory or Dining Room, or more relaxed with cocktails and small plates in the sun-drenched Palm Room.
Doubles from £378, B&B, unionoye.no
Hotel Elva, Voss
Elva comprises five angular houses and a stark glass-and-timber main building housing the fine-dining restaurant. With giant windows overlooking Lake Lundarvatnet, there’s a wonderfully tranquil feel, although some of the rooms can be a touch small.
For those after an active holiday, the Voss Adventure Centre is right next door, offering rafting, canoeing and riverboarding, although simply soaking in one of the hot tubs on the decking may well be action enough.
Doubles from £430, half-board; elva.no
Sweden
Sibbjans, Gotland
Sibbjans also opened in April and is Sweden’s first luxury farm stay, spread across 123 acres of meadow and woodland. Everything is run on regenerative principles – from vintage bedroom furnishings and water-saving showers to limewashed walls and banks of wildflowers framing each building – but there’s no skimping on contemporary comforts.
Choose from yoga classes in the pavilion, nearby hiking and cycling trails, or simply lazing by the natural pool, before a farm-to-fork supper using ingredients harvested that day from the gardens and local farms.
Doubles from £230, B&B; sibbjans.se
Arctic Bath, Harads
This hotel is best known for its extraordinary-looking spa: a giant, circular birds’ nest surrounding a cold pool (which gives the hotel its name). Six angular cabins float above the crystalline waters of the Lule River, each with a private deck and steps leading down into the water, alongside more spacious (sleeping up to five) and more luxurious cabins on land.
Even the restaurant is afloat, where Michelin-style dishes focus on Arctic ingredients and recipes, with the option of a “Fireside Table” experience – an alfresco dinner with a traditional lavvu tent to retire to if the evening turns chilly.
Doubles from £555, B&B, arcticbath.se
Ystad Saltsjobad, Ystad
Set on the glorious, 4km-long Ystad Sandskog beach, this is the Swedish equivalent of a Med fly-and-flop: a neat line of sunloungers alongside three glimmering pools, four restaurants to choose from in the evening and a world-class spa.
The spa’s signature is its “Creek” experience, combining a Dead Sea salt mask, Turkish hamam and Moroccan rasul mud treatment in a rainforest-themed area dotted with pools.
A great choice for families, with rooms sleeping up to four.
Doubles from £256, B&B; ysb.se
Finland
Jarvisydan, Rantasalmi
Jarvisydan has been in the same family for 12 generations, developing from a medieval inn into a sizeable resort offering everything from futuristic glass pods in the forest to wooden cabins with kitchenettes and luxury hotel rooms.
The main building – constructed entirely from wood, with hand-carved fixtures and fittings – feels straight out of Grimms’ Fairy Tales, while afternoons on Lake Saimaa offer the chance to spot rare ringed seals and ospreys.
The spa is child-friendly and features six separate saunas.
Doubles from £154, B&B; jarvisydan.com
Aino Private Island Resort, Rovaniemi
Soak up the midnight sun at this gloriously isolated escape, surrounded by Arctic waters, with just 11 country-chic rooms and suites and one villa dotted among the trees.
It’s quirky: the Library pavilion feels straight out of a stately home, with navy walls, family portraits and a chocolate-brown Chesterfield, while the Vuo restaurant is traditionally Lappish, with tables set around an open fire.
This is an adults-only bolthole, a place to bring plenty of books; there is little to do beyond dipping into the sauna and drinking in the views.
Doubles from £413, B&B; ainoprivateislandhotel.com
Denmark
Cori Hornbæk Hotel, Hornbæk
The Cori Hornbæk opens in September, upping the style ante for Danish seaside hotels. The spa is set to be a big draw, with firelit relaxation rooms and a Longevity Lounge focused on new technologies including compression boots, LED face masks and SmartGoggles.
The beach is an absolute stunner: white sand and shallow waters, perfect for kayaking or paddleboarding.
Meanwhile, the light-filled dining room, dotted with potted shrubs and trees, serves up Scandi-Mediterranean fusion dishes, with a strong focus on local fish and seafood.
Doubles from £407; corihotel.dk